Three killed and three wounded one day. Three killed and 16 wounded on another. One killed and five wounded on another. Seven killed and 13 wounded on yet another.

It becomes a blur. But when you add it all up, you need to go back nearly a year to find a month as deadly as July has been in the Donbas.

But the conflict in eastern Ukraine has become invisible to everybody -- except, of course, those on its front lines.

And despite an alleged cease-fire, Ukraine's forgotten war is escalating.

On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we look at the causes and consequences of the escalation of hostilities between Ukraine and Moscow-backed separatists in the Donbas.

Joining me is co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior policy fellow at the Czech Institute of International Relations in Prague, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the blog In Moscow's Shadows; and RFE/RL's Ukraine correspondent Christopher Miller, who is on the front lines in the Donbas.

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About This Blog

The Power Vertical is a blog written especially for Russia wonks and obsessive Kremlin watchers by Brian Whitmore. It offers Brian's personal take on emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today. Check out The Power VerticalFacebookpage or Follow @PowerVertical